Muscle Biofeedback

Cognitive Muscular Therapy^TM (CMT) has been developed using electromyography (EMG) to visualise patient’s muscle patterns. With EMG, small electrodes are placed on the skin which measure activity in the underlying muscles. These signals are then transmitted via bluetooth to a computer. Using specifically developed software, patients are able to observe how their muscles activate, in real-time during standing and also as they initiate movements such as stair ascent/descent. The software also visualises muscle activation during walking and compares the patient’s muscle pattern with that of a healthy database. This is important as one of the key objectives of CMT is to restore a normal muscle activation pattern during walking.

We recognise that many physiotherapists do not have access to an EMG system. However, these systems have reduced in cost considerably over recent years and can now be purchased for only £2,000-3,000. While we appreciate this is a reasonable investment for a physiotherapist to make, EMG is an integral part of the treatment, and perceived as very important by patients who can observe directly what is happening in their knee muscles.